About the cruise

Board Aurora in Southampton for 24 spectacular nights and visit the east coast of America and Canada. Your first stop is Wilmington, gateway to Philadelphia, the ‘City of Brotherly Love’. Once the capital of the USA, ‘Philly’, as it is know to its inhabitants, is steeped in colonial history. Visit Independence Hall and the cracked Liberty Bell, and do sample a Philly cheese-steak sandwich. Take a bite out of the world’s ‘biggest apple’, inimitable New York. The Empire State, Times Square, Broadway, fabulous museums, mind-boggling shops and a feast of restaurants all vie for your attention in this most seductive of cities. Newport is a world-famous yachting centre. Its combination of scenery and sea made it a weekend retreat for America’s truly wealthy, who summered here in their magnificent and palatial villas, built in every imaginable architectural style. Historic Boston is a friendly, walkable city - dubbed ‘The Cradle of Liberty’ for its part in the American War of Independence. Learn its fascinating history by following the Freedom Trail or take a shore excursion to Cambridge, home of the 400-year-old Harvard University.

Portland is Maine's largest city offering scenic beauty, recreational opportunities and a wealth of historic and cultural attractions. Take a boat trip out to the nearby Casco Bay Islands and visit historic forts and lighthouses. Bar Harbor has something of the look of Old England. Built on an island and connected by a bridge to the mainland, it is situated in the middle of the Acadia National Park. Here you can enjoy an intoxicating mix of lakes, forests and mountains. Halifax is one of the closest Canadian ports to Europe, hence its early prominence in transatlantic trade. It is also one of the most dramatically indented coastlines in the world. The most imposing walled city in North America, the French considered Quebec impregnable - until, that is, Wolfe conquered it for the British. Today the best view is from the terrace in front of the lofty Chateau Frontenac. Cradled in a harbour carved from granite, St. John’s is a friendly city surrounded by natural beauty. Take in the rugged splendour of the coastal areas and admire its colourful homes, painted in the brightest of shades. Enjoy a leisurely sailing home and arrive back in Southampton on Wednesday 24 September.